SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

at crossgates there is the maryfields which consists of houses & bungalows.does anyone know when these were built also what was on this land before the housing was built

mave the pave wrote: at crossgates there is the maryfields which consists of houses & bungalows.does anyone know when these were built also what was on this land before the housing was built The Maryfields were built some 12 - 15 years ago I'd guess. If you look closely, you'll see that there are some older brick built houses mixed in.These are from part of the original estate, built around 1922 and for the most part were constructed from prefabricated concrete sections and formed, at that point Bridle Path Road, Walk and Square, some of the first Council houses in Leeds and in their early days, quite a prestigious catch as housing went with proud tenants even winning places in the Leeds Gardens competitions.To the rear of these, between these house and the Hospital grounds was the 'Bridle Path', a largely unmade road with more council houses on the left and cottages (now gone) built to house hospital staff on the right. This was the original track dating back to before even the hospital was built but now gone having been brought into the new development.A little piece of history sits hidden at the top of the Maryfields on the grassy area in front of the Community Centre - the old abandoned shaft to the coal mine, Mary Pit, with the upper end of the brick lining vissible for many years and after which the newer roads are named.Much more of the original housing has been replaced further towards Crossgates too but still, many of the older ones do still remain.These are the original houses facing onto York Road and overlooking the shops opposite:http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... r=784Quite different to what you see today, but then in another 50 - 60 yers - who knows.    

This photo from Leodis shows the houses on York Rd near Seacroft Hospital under construction [1921]. I’d always thought that they were “Airey” houses but it turns out that the Airey type of system built houses came along much later.http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... Y=FULLAlso, on Farm Rd was another of the shafts from the Mary Pit which, I think is covered in another thread [as was its partial collaps in the late 70's].

The opposite side of York Road from the houses being built in the messages above, is a parade of shops, actually two - one each side of the the road leading to Summerville Green and The Oval.Above is how they are today, the Fish Shop is still there, they used to sell 'wet fish' from the preparation room (with a door round the corner to the right of the shop annexe) on Fridays.Foundry Lane Post Office, still there just having gone through a number of owners, I remember the Flints, Lovely people, Mr Flint however came to an unfortunate end at the hands of an armed gang in a hold up at his next posting at Bridge End.Left of that was Bill Tatham selling mostly cycles and bike repairs but also seemed to sell everything from Matchbox toys to light bulbs.Next was the butchers and last as I recall was Simmons bakers. Always a smell of freshly cooked bread - quite a rarity today. One of their specials was steak and kidney pies sold in brown earthenware dishes, which people actually took back, washed for reuse - wonder if that would happen these days http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... 3_50580996    

I USED TO LIVE ON BRIDLE PATH IN THE 80'S NOT A BAD PLACE TO TO LIVE AS A KID . I THINK SOME OF THE HOUSES WERE TO DO WITH THE HOSPITAL AS MY MOTHER WORKED THEIR AND ALLWAYS TOLD ME WE GOT THE HOUSE COS OF HER JOB .

demondrifter wrote: I USED TO LIVE ON BRIDLE PATH IN THE 80'S NOT A BAD PLACE TO TO LIVE AS A KID . I THINK SOME OF THE HOUSES WERE TO DO WITH THE HOSPITAL AS MY MOTHER WORKED THEIR AND ALLWAYS TOLD ME WE GOT THE HOUSE COS OF HER JOB . Solidly built at the same time as the Hospital as mentioned above but with 'progress' now demolished as the hospital becomes a more and more impersonal place, just a bit of the health machine these days - very different to the times of the Cottages when the place was self-sufficient with everything - including the staff - on site.

i was a driver for crossgates cars...tha's nowt ah dunt know abaaht estate.

my Nan and Grandad got one of the houses on the maryfields when they were first built gotto be about 18 years ago as i was at crossgates primary school when they moved there and im now 29!!

Hi i used to live number 7 bridle path and went to cross gate school,So funny thing im now 33 live near oxford . I took my wife up to leeds to show were im from we went for a walk in the field (at the side of the school )were bridle path would have been and wow if you look at how the field has little lumps bumps or whatever you wanna call them well that was me as a kid i used to dig dens , i would dig all day and then put carpet over and me and my mates would hide their. Also we used to have horses in the field..As for the old mine when they nocked our house down the council said the houses were sinking becouse of the old mine.

There was a minor subsidence issue with a few houses fronting onto Crossgates road but generally the area was stable despite being over a fault line. Had there been any significant problem, it wouldn't have been rebuilt.They major cause for their demise was insurmountable problems with condensation and damp and, as reinforced concrete panel structures, they had reached the end of their life.Strangely The Bridle Path was then incorporated into the new gardens depite it having existed as a public right of way long before the original estate was built~ 1922.The top end of the field had shallow pits in addition to the deep Marypit mine with its shaft head vissible on the spoil heap in the railed-off area opposite.